Against it All
by BethanyWrites
Summary: The Pokemon world has taken a turn for the worse. A tyrannical government has taken control of everything from small towns to the Elite Four, killing anyone who dares challenge a gym. Alex Silver lost his Pokemon at a young age and joined the military only to be labeled a threat because of the sins of his father. This is the tale of his journey to return the world to how it was.
1. Chapter Zero

Chapter Zero

"Submit your registration and report to the rec yard!" our commander yelled. I glanced at the small ball of fluff on the table and quickly typed something in to the screen in front of me. I returned my new Pokemon to its Pokeball and stood up to file in line with the other cadets. I was one of the only people in the room with only a single Pokeball on their belt. I had already identified my fellow cadet who had come to training without a Pokemon. He was older than me by several years and I'd heard that his Pokemon had died while he was out on his first adventure.

"Pair up and duel. When your Pokemon is exhausted, please visit Nurse Joy. If your Pokemon faints you and your partner will have to do laps until sunset. Remember, this is only practice. Fatal injuries will be grounds for discharge."

I immediately sought the man with only one Pokemon. Everyone else would have stronger Pokemon they'd had since their lottery. My Growlithe was a good pick as far as the military choices went but she couldn't have hatched more than a week ago. A simple Water Gun could knock her out if I wasn't careful.

"Hey, Martin, do you want to pair up?"

Martin looked to my belt. "Sure. What did you end up with?"

I pulled out my Pokeball and released my very own Pokemon. I couldn't help but smile when she growled at Martin and shook out her fur. I could feel the heat coming off of her. I felt an unfamiliar excitement well up inside me. Joining the military had been the right choice. I'd always known I had been born to be a Pokemon trainer.

"Not bad." Martin released his Pokemon. It was a Rufflet, a good match for both of us to get used to our new companions. I was so excited for my first Pokemon battle. Martin seemed to sense it. "Have you had a Pokemon before?"

I shook my head. "No."

"You never signed up for the lottery?" Martin asked. This is why I hadn't wanted to battle the others, because they all asked.

"I did." I backed away to the trainer's box. Growlithe followed me curiously, sniffing at my feet. We were taught that Pokemon could sense our intentions and that was what allowed them to understand our commands. "Growlithe, stay. Get ready to battle." She continued to follow me. "Stay."

"Rufflet, get ready," Martin said. Rufflet flew down from his shoulder to the center of the field. Around us Pokemon and cadets were doing the same.

"Growlithe, get ready," I said. She started chewing at my shoelaces. Did they give me a defective Pokemon? Martin looked amused. "Growlithe, use Tackle." Nothing.

"What happened to the Pokemon you got in the lottery?" Martin asked.

"I don't talk about it."

"Rufflet, use Tackle." Rufflet was so quick I only saw him as a blur. Growlithe jumped aside at the last second and growled. She looked to me as Rufflet cirlced around.

"Growlithe, use Ember!" Growlithe jumped and tried to bite at Rufflet.

"Rufflet, use Wing Attack."

"Growlithe, use Ember!" Rufflet dove down and Growlithe jumped up. She caught hold of his wings and bit down hard, spraying blood as they fell together.

"Rufflet, return!" Martin scowled as his Pokemon returned to the Pokeball. "What the fuck, man? Control your Pokemon." He jogged over to Nurse Joy as Growlithe played with the feathers she'd collected. I saw the commander there talking to him, then both of them looked my way. A second later, the commander was coming towards me.

"Growlithe, sit," I said. She growled at the bloody feather. Luckily, Martin wasn't the only person lining up to see Nurse Joy.

"Cadets, this is for _training_! No fatalities!" a commander yelled.

"Cadet Silver! Cadet Martin tells me you cannot control your Pokemon!"

"No, sir. I mean, yes sir." My hand went to the Pokeball. She didn't seem weak, so why wouldn't she listen to me? She was supposed to be my ticket to a new world. Was I not qualified to be a Pokemon trainer?

Commander Rex pulled up a screen on his watch. "Her breeding credentials are superb. She showed no troubles during her first days at the daycare."

"I'm sorry, sir. She just doesn't listen."

Commander Rex released a Pokemon from his Pokeball. It was a Persian. "Let's see what the problem is." He backed up to the trainer box, his Persian getting in place without a word. Growlithe just sat there and watched the other Pokemon.

"Growlithe, get ready," I said. She sat down and started scratching herself.

"Cadet, let's begin."

"Growlithe, use Bite!" She clearly wanted to chew on things. Maybe Bite was all I could get for now.

"Persian, use Scratch."

Persian darted in and caught Growlithe's side with sheathed claws. Growlithe howled and shot flames from her mouth. Persian hissed and jumped away, looking to Commander Rex for a command. He pulled up something on his watch and frowned. "Cadet, there seems to be trouble with your Pokemon registration."

"Something wrong?" Growlithe returned to my side and whined. Her side hadn't been pierced but the blow must have hurt.

"Yes. I tried to pull your page from the registry but it isn't showing up."

"I hit submit."

"You must have messed something up and the system flagged your submission. This is why we tell you to read every field. Cadet! Drop and give me twenty."

I started doing push-ups as he closed his screen and approached me. "It shouldn't take more than a day for it to clear the system. You can't leave the base with an unregistered Pokemon until you're fully registered." I continued my push ups. "The only time I've seen a Pokemon this resistant is when it was called by a name other than its own."

I finished my twenty and stood up, barely sweating. I had been doing push-ups every day for a year. Military training was grueling, and half of our class had dropped out before the six month mark. "She's a Growlithe." The Growlithe in question was now sniffing around Commander Rex's shoes.

"Did you give her a nickname?"

"Yes."

"Cadet! Drop and give me twenty!"

"Yes sir," I said, waiting for him to tell me what I did wrong. They told us not to leave anything out of the registration. I'd made sure to put something for the "nickname" area.

"If you give your Pokemon a nickname, it will be keyed to the Pokeball and only respond to that nickname."

"What?" I asked, almost stopping mid push-up.

"We covered this in class!"

I bit my tongue and finished my punishment. From day one our schedule had been roughly the same. Get up at 05:00 hours, eat breakfast by 06:00, start class by 06:30, end class at 12:00, eat lunch by 13:00, work out until 18:00 hours, cleaning duties until 19:00 hours, dinner, evening jog at 20:00 hours, then a daily quiz from 21:00 hours to 21:30 hours. Lights out was at 22:00 hours. Each day I'd wanted to drop out, but I'd struggled and fought just so that I could get my very own Pokemon, and now because I'd somehow missed a single sentence of a lecture from months ago I was being forced to do push-ups.

"Use her nickname. That will be her only name, if you want to stay a cadet."

"Yes sir!" Failure to exert control over your Pokemon resulted in being released from service. If you were released from service less than two years from receiving your Pokemon, the Pokemon would be forfeited back to be repurposed for military use. They'd like to take everyone's Pokemon, I was sure, but the bond after two years of being with a Trainer usually made a Pokemon useless for anyone else.

"Persian, use Scratch!"

"Fluffy, use Ember!"

Persian came near but Growlithe jumped back and let out a jet of flames.

"Good. Persian, return. Take your Pokemon to Nurse Joy and find another partner, cadet."

"Yes, sir."

"And drop down and give me thirty."

I scowled. "Yes, sir. What for?"

"For picking a stupid nickname. Grow up, Cadet! This is the real world."

_Dammit,_ I thought. Growlithe came and licked my face as I did my punishment, her tongue hot and dry. I knew very much what the real world was.

"Growlithe, return," I said when I stood up, holding in the button to the Pokeball. The device attempted to capture her but she shook it off and growled. The commander was right. I was an idiot. "Fluffy, return." It could be worse.

* * *

Soon after we received our Pokemon, we were divided up based on our aptitudes. As I'd only ever wanted to work as a Ranger, I had been relieved to have been assigned to the position. Rangers patrolled the barriers between civilization and the Wilderness, going in aid of those who found themselves at the mercy of the wild Pokemon of the area.

"Come on Alex, we're going to be late," my bunk mate said, kicking my trunk. It was almost 06:30. We practiced accountability, so if I was late Gerry would also be punished.

"I'm coming." Somehow, even though I'd always wanted to be a Ranger, after only a week of classes I was already dreading the next one. I thought as long as I had a Pokemon I would be happy, but nothing was like I envisioned it would be.

We made our way to the classroom among the commotion of dozens of other cadets doing the same thing. I had almost gotten used to the weight of a Pokeball on my belt. Gerry walked quicker so that he wouldn't be seen next to me. I was used to it by now.

The first week there I had tried to make friends, but no one accepted that I didn't want to talk about why I didn't have a Pokemon. I didn't know why I didn't just lie and say it died on one of my first outings. It was a common occurrence, a trainer being so excited that they rush off on their own and end up encountering a strong Pokemon that tears their companion to pieces. Even more common were the trainers who died with their Pokemon after they had no one left to protect them.

"Cadet Silver!" the instructor said when she saw me.

"Yes, ma'am!"

"Report to the office."

"Yes, ma'am. May I ask why?"

"You may not! Run there!"

"Yes ma'am!" I grit my teeth and turned back around. The office was up a steep hill. We usually didn't need to go up there, and now I had to run. It seemed like I'd only had bad luck since getting Fluffy. Could it be a problem with the registration? Maybe they'd given me the wrong Pokemon by mistake. Fluffy wasn't bad, but I had seen the lucky cadets who'd gotten Pokemon who would be able to carry them across the skies or the sea. One of the female cadets had won the lottery and gotten a Gible. She'd already had a Butterfree and a Braixen. How unfair could life get?

My legs screamed at me by the time I crested the hill to the office. The sun had only just risen so the air was still cool. Pokemon were allowed to be free in all areas of the campus so I released Fluffy. I didn't want to go into the office alone. Maybe if I could prove that Fluffy listened well and I was a good trainer then I would get out of whatever trouble I had managed to get in.

The front desk woman was a civilian. I smiled at her. "Hello, I was sent by my instructor."

"Name?"

"Cadet Alex Silver."

"One moment. I'll page the General."

"The General?" The commanders ran the place, the General was just supposed to oversea it for formalities. Every regions had its own branch of military and a General who positioned themselves centrally, which worked out to be the training camps in each region. Many cadets went through their five years of training without seeing the General even once, or so I'd been told. I immediately thought of my mother. Had something happened to her? Some terrible accident?

I didn't have to wait long for an officer to fetch me and bring me before the General. He was exactly how I pictured him to be.

"Cadet, take a seat." His voice wasn't harsh but it didn't relax me. I did as I was told. "My name is General Pierno. Cadet Silver, is it?"

"Yes, sir." His face held no expression. His hair was gray but cropped close to his scalp, and his frame suggested several decades worth of physical training.

"I think you mean Cadet Sands."

I almost shook my head, but he was right. My mother hadn't been able to divorce my father since he'd disappeared. His PokeNav was still functional so he couldn't be declared dead, though it had been tampered with in a way that wouldn't reveal his location. At least, that's what the police had told us.

"Yes, sir. I've been using my mother's last name since middle school."

General Pierno nodded. "So you aren't in contact with your father."

"Yes, sir. He went missing when I was nine."

"With your Pikachu?"

I only nodded.

General Pierno turned his computer screen so that I was looking at a map covered in red pins. "Cadet, what you are looking at is a map of all the regions Alex Sands has already caught and registered a Pokemon."

What? That couldn't be right. "Sir, before joining I'd never left my hometown. All my mother had was a Skitty. I had no way of leaving to catch Pokemon even if I could somehow afford Pokeballs." I'd spent hours looking through the glass at the Pokemart, wondering if I'd ever have the money. Government jobs allocated one Pokeball a year to employees, another reason I'd joined the military.

"While I realize that is the case on paper, you cannot own your Growlithe as you already have a Pokemon registered in this region."

Fluffy whined from her spot at my feet, sensing my unease. Were they going to strip me of my Pokemon already? Did my father screw me over yet again, stripping me of my only chance to be a Pokemon trainer?

"Because I can clearly see that you don't have any other Pokemon, nor is there any record of you ever purchasing a Pokeball, we will begin submitting the necessary forms to clear this matter up. Until then, you are not permitted to leave the compound. Unregistered Pokemon are, of course, illegal in public spaces, so if you must go into town for some reason you have to leave your Pokemon behind."

"Sir, is everything going to be okay? I mean, this seems like a pretty big deal, sir."

"It is a pretty big deal, Cadet. Unprecedented, in fact. You have your PokeNav from school, correct?"

I nodded and showed him my wrist. They were issued after graduating high school to encourage kids not to leave on their adventure too early. They could be bought on the black market, like all things, but most people were content to wait to finish school before setting off into the world.

"We are taught that they are impossible to hack. Not only should your father not have been able to turn off his location, but it shouldn't be possible to trick the registry into filing catch Pokemon under someone else's name. As word makes it way up the chain of command, someone may want to have a word with you about this matter. I trust you know better than to tell anyone of this. If word got out, it could cause an incredible amount of damage to the reputation of our registration system."

"I understand completely, sir."

General Pierno smiled. "I can tell you're worried, Cadet, but I want to set your mind at ease. Before calling you here I had a chat with your mother and some of your teachers. They all said you're a bright young man and confirmed that you couldn't have possibly been out catching all these Pokemon. I'm sure we'll be able to get this matter settled and get you back on your way to becoming a Ranger."

* * *

I couldn't concentrate at all for the rest of my classes that day. I tripped and fell twice during physical training, almost taking Fluffy down with me. My father was clearly alive. Someone else hadn't stolen my identity, it had to be him.

"Cadet Silver!" My eyes went to a Sargent I hadn't seen before standing on the edge of our field.

"Go," my Sargent said, waving me away. I jogged over with Fluffy at my heals.

"Yes, sir!" I said, saluting. The Sargent looked down at his screen.

"You are to begin your survival training at 20:00 hours. After you're finished with dinner, report to the gates at the south yard."

"Uh, sir? What survival training?"

"All Ranger cadets must undergo wilderness survival training. Yours is scheduled for tonight. Any more questions?"

"No, sir. I mean, yes, sir. General Pierno said I wasn't to leave the compound because of some sort of registration issue with my Pokemon." I looked down to Fluffy. Now that I knew what a comfort it was to sleep next to your own Pokemon companion I couldn't imagine leaving her behind. It was a fact that going into the Wilderness without a Pokemon was a form of suicide.

"We won't be leaving government property."

"Oh. Okay."

"I'll see you at the south gate, Cadet. Don't be late!"

"Yes, sir!" I jogged back and rejoined the others in my class. Survival wilderness training? Why was I the only one who'd been called out? As soon as we took a break for dinner I rushed to the dining call to talk to the other cadets I knew had been chosen as Rangers. None of them had heard of any training that night, though I vaguely remembered an instructor telling us about the existence of the training but I hadn't thought it would happen anytime soon. And on the same day I was told that that my father had been stealing my identity to illegally catch Pokemon? Could it just be a coincidence.

I sat down to eat and kept one hand on Fluffy's head to calm myself. Wasn't I just being paranoid? What were they going to do, take me out into the woods and kill me? That was ridiculous. Things like that didn't just happen. I'm sure the survival training had been scheduled far before Fluffy had even been hatched and assigned to me.

* * *

At 19:45 I was standing ready by the south gate with a bag of supplies packed. Fluffy sat by my feet sniffing the grass as a group of people approached in the dark. The Sargent from earlier took the lead and behind him trailed a group of cadets. I didn't recognize any of them from my class. Was I going out with a group of older rangers? Why would that be the case? Shouldn't I be training with people on my level? And none of them had their Pokemon out.

"Cadet Silver, fall in line."

"Yes, sir," I said, realizing I didn't even know this Sargent's name. I felt a moment of fear but it passed quickly. It wasn't as if a fake Sargent could have slipped into the school without anyone noticing and the other cadets had no similar fears. I expected alarms to go off when I walked through the gate but nothing happened and Fluffy followed right behind me.

"Lights on," the Sargent said. Almost in unison, the other cadets turned on their flashlights. I fumbled to get mine out of the side of my backpack. We marched quietly through the narrow trail. Occasionally something would cry out in the darkness but my flashlight couldn't penetrate the thick forest. He _had _said it was government property. Maybe there was nothing to fear and that was why the rest of them hadn't released their Pokemon.

We walked for what seemed like forever. When I finally checked my watch, it was nearly 03:30. Wouldn't it have made better sense to start walking when it was light out?

"Do you know where we're going?" I asked the cadet in front of me. He shushed me without turning around.

Fluffy seemed to be lagging behind. Each of my steps were three steps for her. I grabbed my Pokeball. "Want to return?"

Fluffy yipped in disagreement. The others turned to look back at me, my flashlights illuminating their faces like a line of ghosts. "Sorry," I managed. The march continued. As we approached 05:00 I could feel my body behind to sag. It had been twenty-four hours since I'd last slept. Soon the sun would be rising.

"Halt!" the Sargent said. "We make camp here!"

"Yes, sir!" the rest of the squad called out. I sighed in relief. Maybe we were doing some sort of simulation for hunting Ghost or Dark-type Pokemon.

It was all I could do to get my tent unpacked and hanging up. I set up the PokeSensors we'd been taught to use while camping—having a Pokemon sneak up on you in the middle of the night wasn't something anyone would want—and went off to find some privacy to take a dump. Fluffy followed me, dragging her feet, and I wondered how she could be so stubborn to resist resting in her Pokeball.

I was squatting behind a bush when I saw two glowing red eyes flash past me. Fluffy's tail went up and she barked, but the creature was gone as quick as it had come. A Sableye, maybe? What else could rush through the air like that?

Fluffy whined. "Yes, I know, I'll be done soon, then we can sleep." She whined again. "Fine, fine." I finished up quickly and made to go back to camp. She growled. "What?"

She turned and went in the direction the glowing eyes had come from. Did she want to investigate?

"Come on, it's time for bed."

Fluffy whined again. I sighed and let her lead the way. Maybe she'd smelled a patch of berries or something.

"...hold for your command. The target is currently secured. He can be disposed of at any moment."

Fluffy looked up at me with big eyes, almost like she could understand what I was hearing. I certainly didn't.

"Sargent April, where is the cadet?"

"He walked off to relieve himself," answered a second voice. "His tent has been set up and his pack is inside."

"Good. As soon as he returns let me know. Don't let him out of your sight again. If we screw this up, we're toast."

"Why couldn't we just take care of him right away?"

"The official order hasn't been passed through every channel. General Pierno is still defending him."

I wasn't going to stick around to hear any more. They were going to kill me to keep me quiet about my father's genius criminal actions. I may have left my backpack behind but I still had my supply belt. It would have to do. I motioned for Fluffy to stay quiet and crept away. Would it even be possible to escape? I had to try.

* * *

A/N: Previously this story started with "Chapter One" but I decided to write some stuff that happens before that. The next chapter I post will be Chapter Two. I make no promises on how long it will take. Thanks for reading!


	2. Chapter One

Chapter One

The rain beat down as Fluffy and I huddled under a jagged overhang. Lightening streaked across the sky and Fluffy yelped. "I can put you back in the Pokeball," I said. Fluffy growled.

The wind howled against the rocks but I could hear something else. Fluffy cocked her head and whined. "You hear it too?" I asked. Fluffy yipped and backed further into our small shelter. It was clear that she wouldn't be going back into the rain.

It was probably a Pokemon. I wasn't on a trail that existed on any map.

The noise was becoming weaker. Could I ignore it? What if it wasn't a distress call, but a hunting call? My PokeNav said that there were only low level Pokemon in the area, mostly Oddish, Budew, and Sunflora. It wasn't always right. In this terrain, it could be a Gogoat. That would be a pain to deal with without Fluffy's help.

I had just decided to ignore the sound when Fluffy's nose nudged my jacket. She wanted me to go investigate. I sighed. Trusting her judgment had gotten me this far—I wouldn't be alive without her.

I pulled my hat on tight and made sure that I had my Pokeball, just in case.

I was completely drenched after a few steps. Fluffy stayed huddled in the alcove, watching as I tried to pinpoint the sound. Bushes and rocks were everywhere, inviting me to trip over them. The ground was uneven and the grass was slick with the rain. At least I still had my military boots, otherwise I could have easily tumbled all the way down the mountain.

The sound was gone. My flashlight struggled to illuminate anything through the thick rain. Lightening flashed across the sky and I saw the hint of something up ahead to my right. If that wasn't what I was looking for, I was turning back. I was going to catch a cold if I messed around any longer.

First I saw the white shoe splattered with mud, then I realized it was connected to a long leg. Attached to that leg was a body sprawled face-down on the ground. The long ponytail told me it was probably a girl. Was she dead? I looked around but there were no Pokemon in sight. Did she come here without one? Was she attacked by something?

I wasn't going to get any answers from staring at her. First I needed to see if she was alive, which a quick check of her pulse confirmed. I turned her over gently. She didn't open her eyes, but she let out another weak moan of pain.

I realized she had a big gash on her head. I found a Pokeball on her hip. I released it—there was no need for me to take on this job if someone else could.

A Goldeen emerged. A fainted one, at that. I recalled it. I sat the girl up and realized she had almost a dozen Pokeballs in her pocket. Was she some kind of rich girl? I was immediately aware of the lone Pokeball in my posession. I had no idea how I would get more. If she was just out cold, what would be the harm of letting her sleep it off in the rain?

I was lifting her before the thought had even finished. She was a pretty girl—there was no way I had the balls to leave her there. Hopefully I would get some kind of reward, though I knew it was more likely I'd be blamed of some kind of inappropriate conduct. I was supposed to be on the run. The second I popped up on a facial recognition scanner I would be toast, which is why I had escaped to the middle of nowhere.

I carried her back to the shelter all the same. I'd deal with her when she woke up. She looked far from military or police, so as long as I could help her on her way everything should be fine. Fluffy barked in excitement as I realized I wouldn't be able to fit under the overhang with both Fluffy and the girl. She would pout about it later, but I recalled Fluffy to her Pokeball and set the girl so that my pack was under her head.

I sighed as lightening struck again. It was going to be a long night.

* * *

I didn't sleep a wink, but the girl woke just after dawn. The rain had slowed to a drizzle and I was watching a Budew emerge from its shelter when the girl let out a scream.

"Are you okay?" I asked as she scrambled to get away from me. Her last memory had to have been falling down or hurting herself on the hillside, so why was she acting like I was some kind of predator?

"Who are you?"

I'd prepared all night for this question. "My name is Max. I got caught in the storm and found you out cold."

The girl nodded slowly. She was pretty even if she was caked in mud. Her long black hair went nearly to her waist. Her face was round and had a youthful glow—I guessed that she was still in school. "I was looking for a Sunflora for my mother. She loves them, you see. But then I came across a Gloom and a whole herd of Oddish and they knocked out my Goldie."

I held in a snort. Goldie was no better than Fluffy.

"Oh!" The girl reached to her hip and released the Goldeen. The Pokemon was awake now but I could see the bruises laced across its small body, likely from a nasty slew of Vine Whips. "Do you have any Potions?"

"No," I lied. I had three and no way of getting more. The Goldeen would live without my help. "Why would you come to an area with Grass Pokemon with only a Goldeen?"

"Goldeen is really strong! She'll be a Seaking in no time!"

This girl was surprisingly peppy for someone who had spend the night soaking wet on the ground. "I'm sure. Still, you need to be more careful." Grass Pokemon were among the least threatening, true, but an angry Oddish could easily strangle her with its vines. "Where did you come from?"

"I live just down in the valley." She looked at me as she let down her hair and attempted to comb through it. "Thank you for saving me, I guess. Where's your Pokemon?"

"Ah, right." I grabbed Fluffy's ball. "She hates being cooped up so don't be startled if she growls." I released her into a flurry of barking. The barking stopped when she noticed the Goldeen sitting quietly beside the girl.

"Goldeen," the fish Pokemon said. Fluffy stuck her nose up close and Goldie unleased a small spurt of water. Fuffy jumped back and growled, looking to me for a signal to attack.

"Calm down," I said, standing up slowly. My knees popped from sitting so long. I had a small amount of rations left in my bag but I didn't want to eat it in front of this girl and have to share. "There's no settlement in this valley according to my maps."

"It isn't a settlement, just us. Papa doesn't like people very much."

"I don't blame him." I stretched and looked around. Little mounds of green moved to and fro as the sun started to break through the clouds. By midday this area would be teeming with Pokemon, though nothing Fluffy couldn't scare off. I looked to the girl. "You must have been hurt to pass out like that. Do you remember what happened?"

"I was running away from the Gloom and I tripped on something. I must have hit my head."

"We should get you to a doctor. Your Goldeen, too."

The girl nodded and recalled her injured Pokemon. "Thank you for being so kind. There are people who would have left me out here to die, or worse."

"If you know that, why are you out here alone?"

The girl shrugged and stood slowly, wincing at some unseen pain. Dried blood still covered her forehead from her fall. "I'm always alone." She looked down at Fluffy. "She isn't your only Pokemon, is she?"

"She is."

"But you're like, old. You're a Pokemon trainer, right? I mean, you dress like one."

I forced a smile. I was only twenty. "I got a late start."

"Is she your lottery Pokemon?"

"Yes," I lied.

"You got lucky. My lottery Pokemon was a Bonsly. Can you believe that? He just sits in the garden all day. He barely was able to help me catch Goldie."

"How many Pokemon do you have?"

"Just two, Woody and Goldie."

I hid a smile. "Not everyone names their Pokemon, you know."

The girl looked at me like I'd suggested eating her Goldeen. "They're our friends and teammates. Every trainer knows that. If you don't name them it's like they're just tools."

"I know." Half of my class in basic training hadn't named their Pokemon. I hadn't named Pichu, either. Maybe if I had my father wouldn't have taken him the very day he'd evolved.

"Oh, by the way, my name is Aurora." The girl pointed west. "My house is that way. I'm sure Mama and Papa are worried about me. When we get back you can have a bath and some food, okay?"

I nodded. "Lead the way. Let me know if you need a break."

We walked in silence as the morning dried and the sun rose higher in the sky. Fluffy growled the same time I saw a flash of something in the sky. "Get down!" I said, pulling Aurora into a bush. Whatever I'd seen had been big. It could be any number of things, only a few of which Fluffy could handle.

The Pokemon had spotted us. I watched as the shadow swooped down, identifying it as a Skarmory. I breathed a sigh of relief—Fluffy would likely be able to scare it off.

"Silver!" Aurora exclaimed, jumping up. The Skarmory circled a few times before landing. It stood the same height as Aurora and nuzzled her with his beak.

"So you know each other?" I asked, extracting myself from the bush. Fluffy stayed by my side, hair standing up with a glare aimed at the giant bird.

"This is Papa's Silver. He must have sent him out to look for me." Silver lowered his head and allowed Aurora to climb on his back. So much for getting me some food and a warm bath.

"Be more careful next time you go out," I said. "You're likely to meet someone worse than me." I gave her a little wave. She raised an eyebrow.

"You're coming with me, right? You have to be hungry."

"I don't think I can keep up."

Aurora laughed. "Silver isn't a baby. He can carry _much_ heavier loads. Hop on."

Silver looked at me the same way I imagined her father would see me. _Trash. Suspicious._ _No good._ Her father was probably some woodcutter who secluded himself in the forest. I didn't blame him, what with the constant lies and bullshit that lay in the cities.

"Come on, Fluffy." I recalled her with a sigh, ignoring her whine of protest, and got on Silver behind Aurora. He was about as comfortable as he looked.

"Hold on," Aurora said a second before Silver launched into the sky. I grabbed a scale and tried to remember how to breathe—this was my first time flying.

"I think I'm going to be sick," I said as the ground fell father and farther away. The air rushed past and chilled me to the core, whipping past my ears so that I couldn't hear anything else. I looked back at the path I'd come from. How had I made it that far? The training location where my death was to be staged had to be miles behind. Had it really been only five days since then?

A few Taillows flew up to join us and Silver drove them off with a loud caw. I noticed that we were getting closer to the ground again, which made sense. Aurora couldn't have wandered too far from home.

I had imagined a little shack in the woods, maybe a cute cottage with a big garden. What I saw us approaching was a giant mansion, one that could easily fit four or five of my childhood homes. My first impression of the girl had been right—she was rich. I wondered how much I'd be able to steal before I left.

Silver landed with surprising grace and alerted the household to our arrival with an ear-shattering screech. "I hate when he does that," Aurora said, rubbing her ears.

I couldn't formulate a reply. This mansion was ridiculous. An Ambipom swung from window to window cleaning the glass, barely taking note of us, and I could see a flash of a Gardevoir passing by one of the windows like a dead maiden in a horror story. The front door opened and an older gentleman followed by a ginormous Stoutland came running out.

"Darling!"

"Papa!"

The father and daughter ran towards each other and hugged. I stayed beside Silver, not sure what I should be doing. Who were these people? I had imagined a small county family welcoming me in for a night under a roof and a hot meal… didn't rich people have different standards of kindness? With my luck my face was on a 24/7 broadcast of wanted criminals.

"Darling I've been so worried about you! Your mother hasn't been able to sleep. Where have you been? I told you not to leave without one of my Pokemon!"

Aurora pulled back and pouted. "I'm not a little kid anymore. I don't need your Pokemon."

"You didn't even take Woody. I know you don't think he's strong but that's because you don't ever train him!"

"I know." Aurora pouted.

Silver let out a soft caw. Aurora's father glanced over. I watched his expression change from happiness that his daughter had return to pride in his Pokemon to distrust to the man standing before him.

"Who is this?" her father asked, his voice cold as ice. He was a big man, not very tall but with a sizable gut and a red face partially covered with a bushy brown mustache.

"Papa, this is the man who saved me. His name is Max. I might be dead if he hadn't found me."

The man's face transformed into a smile once more. "Max! Thank you for saving my daughter." The man came and caught me in a giant bear hug, nearly lifting my feet off the ground. "We are in your debt. Please, why don't you come in and get changed into some clean clothes? Excuse my manners, we don't often see visitors around here."

"I was just passing through and found Aurora out in the storm. I don't mean to intrude."

"You're not intruding. Come on in!" Aurora said, running in without a glance back. The Stoutland followed her in happily, leaving me alone with Silver and her father.

"Max, you can call me Dr. Nova. Please, come inside. Lunch should be almost ready."

"Thank you, Dr. Nova. Do you mind if I release my Pokemon? She hates being cooped up."

"Of course, of course. We'll get her some food as well."

I let Fluffy out to surprising silence. She glanced at Silver and then Dr. Nova. "Relax, girl."

Dr. Nova laughed. "Those military Pokemon are always something special."

"She was my lottery Pokemon."

Dr. Nova raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Well, no matter. Let's go inside. I'm sure lunch should be ready soon and we can't have you coming to the table covered in mud."

* * *

I was shown to my own wing to change into clean clothes and get settled. Dr. Nova made it clear that I would be spending the night and I had no energy to fight him as I hadn't slept the night before. I wanted to fall into my bed—a giant plush mattress with four gilded posts under a gauzy gold canopy—right after my bath—a claw-footed tub, also gilded, with soap that smelled like roses and made my skin feel like a newborn's—but I was told by the maid that I was expected for lunch. _The maid._ I had to find out where they kept their supplies before I left.

Fluffy was suspiciously quiet the whole time. I didn't like it. She was never this quiet. Was she not used to being around this many Pokemon? The mansion was crawling with them, highlighting the wealth of this mysterious Dr. Nova. What if he worked for the government? Maybe, as I sat buttoning up this ridiculously soft shirt, the people who tried to kill me were racing here to try again.

I glanced at the window. I was on the second floor, an easy enough drop. I managed to open the window and look down. The gardens were below me, along with a half dozen or so captive wild Roselia milling to and fro. I could survive that fall and then I'd just need to navigate through the garden maze, which would take me out behind the mansion. I had just decided to recall Fluffy and jump when Aurora burst into my room.

"What's taking you so long? You must be starving!" she said. She came to join me by the window and looked down. "We can look at the gardens later. Come eat!"

I allowed myself to be pulled along. Fluffy followed with her head down. I had to get out of here. Something wasn't right.

"Max, so nice of you to join us," Dr. Nova said when we reached the dining hall. I was lucky Aurora had come to guide me otherwise I could have been wandering the mansion for hours. "We weren't expecting visitors so I do hope you'll excuse our plain fare."

The table was covered in a spread that I imagined the Elite Four would dine on each night. I took a seat and a moment later the Gardevoir I'd seen earlier entered the room pushing a middle-aged woman in a wheelchair.

"Mama, this is Max. Max, this is Mama."

I bowed to be polite. I hadn't expected her to be handicapped. "You may call me Celest. Thank you so very much for saving our daughter."

I smiled. "I don't know if you can call it saving. I have a hunch she would have been fine even if I hadn't shown up. She's a strong girl."

"Oh, you don't know the half of it," Celest said, laughing. It was clear where Aurora got her beauty from. Celest had creases at her eyes and mouth, evidencing that she loved to smile, and her black hair was peppered with gray streaks. Her eyes were a striking blue, in contrast to Aurora's dull brown. Aurora had her father's eyes. "I do wish she'd stop sneaking out on these adventures of hers. She just doesn't understand how dangerous the world can be."

"I understand, Mama. Do you think I'm going to stay here forever?"

"What's wrong with how things are here? You have everything you could ever want," Dr. Nova said. I observed the conversation as I took a bite of the dish nearest to me. I had to contain a moan—this was possibly the best food I'd ever eaten. I looked over to were the Pokemon food had been set on the outside of the room. Fluffy too seemed to be enjoying the luxurious cuisine.

"Everything but _friends_," Aurora said. She rolled her eyes and looked at me. "Max is a Pokemon trainer. Why can't I go with him? He's strong."

"He only has one Pokemon," Dr. Nova said. He glanced my way. "Where is it that you're headed, anyways? We don't normally see people come through here. I deliberately built this place out of the way."

"Jillning Town," I said, naming the first city that came to mind. It was somewhere around here, though hardly my destination. "I think I lost my way looking for a Gogoat. I hear there was one in the area."

"You heard wrong, I believe. Gogoats stay north of the mountains, they're nowhere near us."

I put on a smile. "Well, I guess I'm more lost that I thought."

Celest smiled back. "Don't worry about it. We'll take care of you, it's the least we can do for helping our precious Aurora. I don't know what we would have done if she hadn't come back."

"Oh, I was fine, Mama. I just ran into some angry Oddish. That's all."

"What were you doing all the way out there with only Goldie?"

"I wanted to catch you a Sunflora."Aurora pouted. "I didn't see a single one."

"Oh, honey, you shouldn't have put yourself in danger for that. If I wanted a Sunflora I could just have your father catch me one."

Dr. Nova cleared his throat. "I'm glad you're back safe and sound all the same. Why don't you focus on eating before the food gets cold? Then I'd like to give Max a tour of the place."

"I can give him a tour," Aurora said.

Dr. Nova shook his head. "You've already missed your morning lessons, I won't have you miss your afternoon ones as well."

Aurora groaned. "But we _never_ have visitors. Can't I just miss lessons once?"

"Absolutely not! Now eat up. You'll need your energy for your math lessons."

"Max, I feel like you aren't being entirely truthful with me," Dr. Nova said after the table had been cleared and the ladies had left the room. He turned to me with a frown. "I understand that you may feel like you can't trust just anyone you come across, and I get that, I do. But I have a feeling you aren't who you say you are."

I swallowed hard, aware that Fluffy had started napping in the corner of the room. Did this mean there was no danger or could her food had been drugged? "Sir?"

"Don't look so startled. Come with me, will you? We'll start our tour in the basement."

I didn't like the sound of that. "I'm actually feeling quite tired, perhaps I could return to my room?"

Dr. Nova smiled and released a Pokemon from a ball without a word. A Lucario came out, wearing the same steely expression Silver had worn. "Why don't you come to the basement with me?" I glanced to Fluffy. "Don't worry about her. I put some sedatives in her food. She'll be asleep until this evening, at least."

This wasn't good. With Lucario's speed and strength there would be no escaping. Was he taking me to the basement to kill me? Was he actually with the government? Did I come this far just to die in some rich man's hideaway?

Unhappily, I allowed Dr. Nova to guide me to the basement. I should have expected this. My life was never fair. I never came out on top. Anything good was taken from me in an instant. I remembered how jealous all my friends were when I had been the first to get a Pokemon. Five was the youngest age one could sign up for the Pokemon lottery and my father had signed me up on my birthday. The other kids in my town didn't sign up until age nine or ten, but by then Pichu was gone.

"You have a lot of Pokemon," I said as I descended the stairs. Lucario's heavy breathing was on my neck. He wouldn't just have the Pokemon punch through me, right? Not when I was wearing his fancy clothes.

"I am a lucky man. Lucky to have the family I have, and to be able to live in peace out here in the countryside." The stairs ended with a locked door. Dr. Nova pushed passed me and opened it with a key. "You understand then why I would do nothing to stop anyone who threatened that peace."

"I think you have the wrong idea about me. I'm just-"

"A fugitive on the run?" Dr. Nova turned to me with blank eyes. "Shut up and follow me, and I may let you live."

I bit my tongue. The room we entered was full of computers and gadgets—the stuff a normal person like me could never dream of affording. Whatever this guy did for a living, he did it well.

I could feel my new shirt sticking to my back from the sweat. So, he knew I was a fugitive? I was pretty much screwed, wasn't I?

"You know, in the old days everyone wanted to be a Pokemon trainer. Gym battles were tests of skill, sanctioned matches where your Pokemon couldn't be killed. The Elite Four were meant to be challenged. Trainers were encouraged to become the best. You could catch as many Pokemon as you wanted—there were no zones or catch restrictions."

"I've heard rumors like that before."

"They aren't rumors." We stopped in front of a giant monitor. Without a word, Lucario pushed me down into the seat. Dr. Nova turned the monitor on, revealing a picture of my face next to the words _Kill on sight_. "It seems you pissed off the wrong person."

"Sir?" I looked around. I didn't see a gun. Would he kill me later? Outside, maybe? Or was that Lucario's job?

"I've had access to the military's database since before Aurora could walk. I just happened to see that there was a _threat to the order_ in the area and then, what do you know, my daughter shows up with a criminal in tow, saying he saved her life."

I chose to remain quiet. What could I say?

"Max, is it?" He asked, looking at the screen that showed my name to be Alex Sands. He did a little typing and pulled up a picture of my father. Or at least, it looked like my father, but he was older than the last time I'd seen him. "Max, I happen to know your father."

"Kill him instead," I said without thinking. The bastard. He left me and my mother to fend for ourselves. What kind of father would do such a thing? To steal his own son's only Pokemon?

Dr. Nova laughed. "I see there is no love lost between you. I suppose you know that you have a kill order because of the connection?"

"I had assumed."

"Your father is considered a terrorist by the state. He's wiped out two gyms and raided many military outposts across the map. He's one of the most wanted men in the region but somehow he keeps slipping away."

"Lucky him."

"I think you may have the wrong idea about me. You see, I don't work for the government. Or the military."

I turned to look at him. "You're not?"

"No. You see, I'm but a simple businessman. I invented the technology that allows the government to track how many Pokemon are caught in a region. The software, the hardware, it was all me."

I scoffed. So it was because of him that the government could control the people so easily. Pokemon were power, so who had the Pokemon had the power. You were limited to one Pokemon per region but each region was separated by dangerous wilds. Each catch was automatically logged into the global database linked to the PokeNav system. If you caught a second Pokemon within a region or tried to fudge the numbers in any way you would be sent to jail and all your Pokemon would be confiscated. Permanently.

"I know what you're thinking, but I didn't have a choice. Celest..." Dr. Nova pinched his nose and shook his head. "I'll just show you." He opened a file and pulled up a video. It was footage from a gym. He hit play and I watched as a Venasaur sent a nasty Petal Dance at a Greninja.

The battle was fierce. I found my eyes glued to the screen. I'd never seen such mastery of Pokemon. Both sides were amazing, countering and dodging and using the whole terrain to their advantage.

The camera angle changed and I saw Aurora standing beside a Leafeon. But no, it wasn't Aurora. This woman was taller and had blue eyes. It was Celest, before whatever accident had befallen her.

Dr. Nova paused the video. "I can never bare to watch the rest."

"The rest?"

"Do you recognize that gym?"

"I've never been inside a gym before, sir."

Dr. Nova sighed. "It was the Tarrian City Gym, the last Gym before the Elite Four. Celest was convinced that she was going to win it all, to become the Pokemon Champion who would free everyone from this oppressive reign of terror. I was at work that day, overseeing the manufacturing of a new Pokeball, when a man dressed in black came to inform me that my wife was in the hospital, her Pokemon were dead, and that if I ever wanted her to be allowed out of her bed that I would need to help them. And so I did."

I stayed quiet. Why was he telling me all of this? Was he going to kill me or not?

"I'm not going to hurt you," he said, as if reading my mind. "Aurora has always had the best luck. It seems to me that your only choices in life are to fight to overthrow the government that would have you killed or to lay down and give up and hide until you die of old age."

"That seems about right."

"Well, it's time to make your choice." Dr. Nova turned and pulled out a device from a cabinet. "As things stand, there isn't a city you'll be able to walk into without sirens going off. You won't be able to enter sanctioned battles, to earn money, or to buy anything from a store. Anything you try to do by the name of Alex Sands will send you straight to prison, where you will be executed for treason."

"So what are my choices?"

"Remain as Alex Sands and leave here tomorrow with as much food as you can carry, no strings attached, or allow me to give you a new identity."

"A new identity?"

"New to you, at least."

"And you'll just give it to me?"

Dr. Nova set his strange devise down before turning my chair so that I was looking directly at him. "This isn't free charity. I expect you to work for me. I expect you to share any intel you gather. I expect you to keep yourself out of trouble, and to keep my family out of trouble. I expect you to train your hardest to be the kind of Pokemon trainer who may some day be a Pokemon Master, the kind of Pokemon Master who can tear down this world and rebuild it to what it should be so that my daughter may know the joy and freedom of setting off into the world to follow her dream. And if you can't do all that, I ask that you walk away now. If you don't have what it takes, I'll find someone else to carry this burden."

"And if I take your deal?"

Dr. Nova smiled. "You're going to need more than a military-issue Growlith to get you to the finish line."


	3. Chapter Two

Chapter Two

I looked up at the city in awe. I'd been walking for weeks to reach this point, the only safe gateway to the next region over. Officially, under my new identity, I'd caught Fluffy in this region and my lottery Pokemon had perished. Dr. Nova had urged me to catch another Pokemon as quickly as possible. He'd also told me I needed to grow out my beard to obscure my face—we had no idea how many civilians would be able to recognize me as a man on the run.

But I'd never been to a city before. After spending so much time on the road I was sure I looked terrible. I'd tried making myself presentable but there was a limit to what I could do in a stream. As I debated how I should approach the gates, a man came up behind me and clapped me on the back.

"Hello! First time in Hawthorne City?" He was a tall, muscular man with a long blond beard and a bandanna tied over his messy hair. He had a hiking pack as well as four Pokeballs on his belt.

"Yes."

His eyes went to Fluffy. "Just starting out, eh? Normally kids leave in a group to start out with. At least that's how it was in my town."

I shrugged. "It's just me."

"Well that's okay! How about I show you to the Trainer District? I was heading there myself."

"Yeah, thank you." I stuck out my hand. "My name is Drake Brown."

"Nice to meet you Drake! I'm Hoch." His grip was firm. I wondered what kind of Pokemon he had. He was older than me but not by much. Four Pokemon wasn't outlandish if he was a good trainer.

Hoch's hand went to a Pokeball and he released the creature inside. A Chatot burst out and greeted us with a song, landing comfortably on Hoch's shoulder. "Biene, see if you can find Molly or Andrax, will you?"

"Chatot!" It flew off into the city. Hoch turned to look at me.

"I was supposed to meet some friends here but I don't know if they're here yet. But anyways, the Trainer District. Do you have any money?"

"Not much. I'd rather save it in case I need a Potion or something." He started walking and I scrambled to follow, relieved when I crossed the city entrance without setting off any alarms. I realized that Hoch's legs were quite long. I've never thought of myself as short, but I felt a bit like a Diglett standing next to an Onix.

"No worries. You can battle for a bed and a decent meal, you know. There are beginner rounds too, so don't worry about being matched up with a Gyarados or a Haxorus. And they're sanctioned matches, of course."

I glanced down at Fluffy. She had gotten bigger since I'd first gotten her but she was still a little thing. I'd trained her every day, making her practice her moves and sending her after whatever weak Pokemon we came across, but I had no idea how long until I would get a chance to get my hands on a Fire Stone so that she could evolve.

"Thanks for showing me around."

"Of course! You kids have it rough these days. It's almost like they make things deliberately confusing to discourage new trainers. I mean, they don't even have signs leading to the Trainer District. What's up with that?"

I could only shrug as he went off on describing his favorite places to eat in the city. A saw a Mr. Mime washing windows next to a Ribombee carrying an old woman's groceries. There were Pokemon everywhere. Pidgeys and Pidoves flew together in the skies and I spotted a Grimer reaching up from the sewer to grab an apple someone had dropped. We passed a Rapidash racing track as well as a Persian cafe where all the servers dressed like sexy Meowths. A businessmen walked quickly down the street talking on his PokeNav while his Snivy rested on his shoulder. I thought I had finally gotten used to the bustle when we turned onto the street of the Trainer District.

Every lamppost was covered in flyers advertising trades. Banners were hung detailing the upcoming battle tournaments and their prizes. We passed a Daycare with flashing neon signs that read _"We'll train your Pokemon so you can rest!"_ in one window as well as "_Our trained professionals are the best at what they do!" _in another with a giant smiling Totodile painted on to the building. Two people were openly battling on the street, one commanding their Spiritomb to use Shadow Sneak while the other yelled for their Lycanroc to dodge and use Rock Tomb.

"You okay?" Hoch asked. I realized I was gawking like the country hick I was.

"Sorry. I've never been in a city this big before."

"It's a lot to take in, I know. Just wait until you get to Capital City! Man, I could wander those streets for months and still not take in everything there is to see. It's incredible, really. When you go, I suggest you go see the Snorlax wrestling. It's easily among the top ten most amusing things I've seen in my life."

"I'll have to check it out."

We stopped in front of a plain gray building that stretched up high into the sky. Above the door was a sign that simply read "_Trainer Headquarters_" in big steel letters.

"Well, this is it. I have an apartment up the street I share with my friends in the area and I'm sure Biene is already waiting for me. Can I register you in my PokeNav?"

"Sure," I said, trying to push down the excitement I felt at his words. Hoch would be the first contact I had in my PokeNav, other than a contact that said _Uncle Ross_ which was actually a secure line I could use to contact Dr. Nova in an emergency.

As Hoch walked off I couldn't help but remember Dr. Nova's words. _"You'll need friends to get you through your journey, but remember that you can't ever consider them your real friends. You never know who would turn you in for a reward. You need people you can use, not people you can trust. No one is trustworthy these days." _

I hadn't wanted to believe him then and I didn't want to believe him now. Surely someone, somewhere, hated the system as much as I did. I couldn't be the only person whose parent had screwed them over only to be continually screwed over by the system we were told is for our protection. For now, I had Fluffy and she was all I'd need.

I took a deep breath and pushed open the big metal doors to the Trainer Headquarters. The lobby was mostly empty other than a girl and her Clauncher sleeping on a padded bench. I went to the reception desk and waited for the woman to get off the phone. "Hello, first time here?" she asked in a perky voice.

"Yeah. I've actually never been to a city before."

She smiled wide. "Welcome to Hawthorne City! I've lived here my whole life. I always say there's no better place on earth!" She pulled out a scanner. "Can I see your PokeNav and we'll register that you've checked in? You'll need to check in to use any of our services, from the cafeteria to the battle hall."

I hesitated for only a second. Dr. Nova assured me that my fake identity would work no problem. If my dad could hack the system then I was sure the man who made the system knew how to work around it. I held out my wrist and let her scan my PokeNav.

"Excellent. It's a pleasure to meet you, Drake. Let me give you a brief overview of Headquarters, okay? The Battle Hall is sub-floor 2 and 3, the cafeteria is sub-floor 1, the lobby and PokeCenter are on the first floor, the common room and communal showers are on floor 2 along with our clinic should you yourself need to see a doctor, and floor 3 and up are residential areas. Depending on how long you plan to stay we have different housing options available." She passed me a pamphlet detailing the costs associated with different housing plans. "While there is no free housing, the PokeCenter and the clinic are always free and the cafeteria has a free vegetable set you can choose."

I glanced at the girl sleeping on the bench. How long had she been there? Could I sleep there too?

The receptionist followed my gaze and dropped her voice to a whisper. "Normally we don't allow this sort of thing but my supervisor is on vacation so I let it slide for today. She tried winning a bed in the Battle Hall but her poor Clauncher kept getting matched against Electric or Grass types until Nurse Joy forbid her from battling for three days." Her voice returned to normal volume. "But speaking of the Battle Hall, I have the rules here as well as what you can win at each level. I assume you'll be participating in the beginner's rank." Another pamphlet was handed across the desk.

"Thank you. I think I'll go get something to eat and look these over."

"Of course, take your time! You can register for a battle at any time, they run from sunrise to midnight every day. I'll sign you up for your first battle but for every entry after that you'll be able to use your PokeNav. It's the same for the Trainer Headquarters in every city, though prices and prizes vary from place to place."

"Thank you for all your help," I said. I went to the elevator and pressed the button to go down to the cafeteria. Suddenly I felt someone approach me. I glanced behind me and saw that the sleeping girl was now awake standing behind me, her Clauncher cradled in her arms.

"You woke me up," she said. Her hair was a little messy from her nap and I could see a spot of drool in the corner of her mouth.

"I'm sorry?" I said as the elevator arrived. I got in and hit sub-floor 1. She didn't hit any other buttons and the doors closed.

"I'm Merry. What's your name?"

"Drake."

"Do you have money for a room?"

I shook my head. "I just got here."

She looked at Fluffy. "Is that your only Pokemon?"

"For now."

The corner of her mouth curled up. "Isaac could totally beat him."

"Fluffy is tougher than she looks. Isn't that right, girl?" Fluffy barked once and rubbed her head against my hand. I ruffled her fur affectionately.

"You got totally lucky with your lottery Pokemon. Once she's big enough you can totally ride her. Even when Isaac evolves the best he'll be able to do is pull me through the water fast enough to get water up my nose." The elevator dinged and opened. "Would you share your lunch with me? I don't eat much."

"I don't have any money. You can get your own vegetable set."

She pouted. "I'm sick of vegetables." Still, she stood in the short line with me and we gave our order to the chef who in turn ordered his Simisage to begin preparing our plates. "Have you been a Trainer for long?"

"Not really. I only left home a few months ago. It took me forever to get here trying to avoid the dangerous Pokemon." I decided I'd lie about my age and pretend I had just graduated. It would be easier than trying to explain why I had waited a few years to go out into the world.

"My big brother is a strong Trainer and said I could adventure with him but once we got here he told me I was a drag and left with his friends. Now I can't leave the city until I win a Pokeball. I lost my first one trying to catch a Dratini. I seriously almost had it!"

The Simisage handed over our trays along with two bowls of PokeFood. As she was still carrying her Pokemon, I took Merry's tray and picked a table for us then went back for the PokeFood. It was two hours past noon so the cafeteria was mostly empty besides a few groups who were sipping on coffee and chatting. I wondered how busy it would be for the breakfast rush in the morning.

"That sucks."

"Tell me about it! TJ promised my parents he'd take care of me but he totally lied to their faces."

"Can't you go home?"

Merry pouted. "No! My mom was totally against the whole thing to begin with. She said I should stay home and learn to cook and find some rich guy to marry. _As if. _My parents are nice people but they're _so boring_. I can't even tell them TJ abandoned me or they'd get an escort here and drag me home."

The vegetables weren't bad. Better than the dry rations I'd been munching on since leaving Dr. Nova's place. Fluffy didn't seem to have any complaints about her food either.

Merry just picked at her plate. I came to the conclusion that her looks couldn't possibly be more plain. She had dull brown eyes and flat, muddy brown hair that went to her chin with a face that would be impossible to pick out of a crowd. She wasn't skinny and she wasn't fat and if I had to bet I'd place money on her being the exact average height for women. She wore the standard trainer wear they sold in PokeMarts across the county and had no accessories like I'd seen other girls wear.

"You know, you should shave your beard. It makes you look like an old man."

I managed to smile. "It grows too fast and I can't be bothered to shave it twice a day."

Merry nodded. "I used to cut my dad's hair all the time. How about this—I'll trim your beard so you don't look like you just crawled out of the woods and if you win a room in the Battle Hall you let me share it with you."

I cocked my head. "Share a room with me? Uh..." I had no intention of taking advantage of this girl but her willingness to be in a room alone with me shook me a little. "Wouldn't you be better off finding a girl to room with?"

"No, I've never gotten along with girls. I don't know why. My dad said it's because I played with boys too much as a kid. I was always tagging along after my brother."

"Well, I doubt I'll be able to win a room with two beds. Are you fine sleeping on the floor?"

Merry grinned. "Better than out in the park! Two nights ago I woke up and some old guy had his hand halfway up my shirt. I had Isaac use Vice Grip on his balls!"

I had no idea how to respond to that other than to make a note never to cross Merry if I wanted my junk to remain unharmed.

"If you're done eating, let's go get you cleaned up and registered!"

My plate was already empty so I weakly consented. This wasn't at all how I'd imagined my day going.

* * *

The beginners went to sub-floor 2 for all of their matches. I'd read through the pamphlet when Merry had been busy running around the residential floors trying to find hair clippers to borrow.

Trainers could only battle once a day unless they swapped out their Pokemon. Beginner matches only had one or two Pokemon sets. The trainers were ranked from 1 to 9, and winning three Rank 9 matches elevated you to the Intermediate set. Having an evolved Pokemon automatically granted you a Rank 4 which allowed you to get better prizes right off the bat. Each level had several different prizes to chose from but I was only looking for a room at the moment. The Beginner prizes were mostly meal tickets and room combinations but you could also win a chance at a lottery entry and herbal medicines. No Pokeballs were available until you reached the High Intermediate matches, all of which were battles of two or more Pokemon.

"Merry, you said you can't leave the city until you get a Pokeball?"

"Yep. I love Isaac but he's a complete baby when it comes to Grass types. He tries to hide behind me—it's really pathetic."

"Claw?" Isaac said. He was cuddled up next to Fluffy. I thought Fluffy would be more wary of a Water type but she didn't seem to mind at all.

"Hush, you know it's true! I need something else or I'll be cut up by the first Oddish I see." She had a little more sense than Aurora, at least.

"But you can't win a Pokeball unless you have two Pokemon able to battle."

Merry smiled. "But you can enter as a pair with another trainer! Also, if I enter the lottery enough times I'm bound to win enough money to buy one."

I couldn't help but admire her optimism. I wished Dr. Nova had sent me on my way with more Pokeballs but he'd said it would be too suspicious if someone else happened to find them.

"Well, I guess I'm Beginner Rank 1."

"Me too!" Merry said.

"Have you won a single round?"

She frowned. "Not yet, but Isaac just needs more training. If we get matched against a Ground or Rock type we'll be able to win for sure! Now follow me to the bathroom—it's time to trim your beard."

* * *

It took a little less than an hour to let Merry trim my beard, take a shower, register for a match, and clear Fluffy for battle with Nurse Joy. Merry accompanied me to sub-floor 2 but had to wave goodbye when it was time to divide up into spectators and trainers. The Beginner's viewing area wasn't very full. I couldn't imagine that anyone got any enjoyment from watching beginners battle. I'd have to make my way down to sub-floor 3 to see the real action, but first came my very first sanctioned battle. I realized I was incredible nervous.

"You ready for this, Fluffy?" I asked. Her hair was already standing on end from the charged atmosphere. On the pitch two trainers faced off with a Flabébé and a Tropius. _What an unfair pairing_, I thought. The Tropius was an absolute giant compared to the Fairy Pokemon. However, after a minute I realized the Tropius's trainer was an idiot. The only thing that came out of his mouth was "_Tropius, use Gust!" _Didn't he realize that Flabébé wasn't a Grass type?

"Daisy, use Toxic!"

The Flabébé was so small the Tropius's trainer could hardly see it. It zipped around the pitch as it became clear that Tropius was heavily affected by the poison.

"Tropius, use Gust!"

"Flabébé, use Vine Whip and Fairy Wind!"

The Flabébé shot out vines to keep Tropius in place then send wave after wave of powerful energy crashing into it. The Tropius was already falling to the ground when the referee declared Flabébé the winner.

I took a deep breath. See, there was no reason to be so nervous about my match up. Even if I got a difficult opponent there was a good chance they would be an actual beginner. I'd studied Pokemon moves, typing, and strategy at a level beyond what any normal student would learn. I just had to be confident in myself and in Fluffy.

The field was cleared and I was called onto the pitch along with my opponent, a boy named Elias Copper. He groaned when he saw me. "Not again," I heard him mutter as we went to the center to shake hands.

The referee waited for us to stand in the center circle. "Mr. Copper, please release your Pokemon for this match."

The boy signed and did as he was told. A Kricketot popped out and landed on the ground, immediately bursting into dance. I tried to hold back a smile.

"Yeah! Go Drake! Crush him!" Merry called from the stands. Elias just looked even more miserable.

"Trainers, let I remind you that fatalities are forbidden. As soon as you hear my whistle, stop battling." I couldn't be sure, but I had the feeling the referee was talking to me alone. At least luck would be on my side. Beginner Rank 1 prizes included a room for a week as well as 7 meal passes. Once I finished this I could finally sleep on a real bed. "Take your positions and be ready for my signal."

Both of us turned to go back to our boxes. I looked down at Fluffy. "We're going to win this, but don't kill him, okay? That kid can't lose his only Pokemon. But don't go easy on him, either." Out of all my studies I'd spent the least time on Bug types. It wasn't that I didn't take them seriously, I just always found them a bit creepy. A teacher in my school had once released her Ariados for a lesson and I'd passed out and had needed to be carried to the nurse's office.

I turned to face my opponent. I felt bad for the kid. How on earth was he supposed to win against anything but a Budew or Sunkern? And why did he look so young? Trainers could start their Pokemon adventure as early as twelve years old but rarely did anyone leave their hometown before they finished school.

The referee called for us to start and I sent Fluffy out to attack with an Ember. The battle lasted less than a minute, with the referee blowing his whistle before the Kricketot could even execute a single attack. Elias was rushed off to take his Pokemon to Nurse Joy and I watched on my PokeNav as my level went from Rank 1 to Rank 3. Well, that was something.

"Congratulations on your first win, Trainer. We hope you'll visit us again soon," said a serious-looking man by the door. He wore a black suit and glasses and I immediately diverted my eyes. He screamed _government employee._ It made sense that they'd have someone monitoring sanctioned battles.

"Drake! You won!" She rushed me once I left the pitch and crushed me in a hug.

"Claw?!" Isaac called out as he was caught in the action. Merry blushed and took a step back.

"I knew you could do it! Let's go get your room, okay? And then I'll show you the park nearby. It's really pretty at sunset and there's Pokemon Enrichment sets that I bet Fluffy will love!"

I nodded and allowed myself to be pulled along, reminding myself yet again that I couldn't afford to make friends.

* * *

A/N: Thanks for reading!


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